Hexham Abbey's medieval panel paintings, the largest collection in the UK, have been secured by a National Lottery grant. The Grade I listed building houses internationally-renowned medieval panels that are at risk of being lost without urgent conservation work.
Details of the Grant
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £138,088 to the abbey. Officials say this will help apply for a full grant of almost £1m later. The funding will support extensive conservation work on the panel paintings and a rare assembly of grave covers, while also transforming visitor interaction.
One screen in the choir depicts Northumbrian saints St Oswald, St Etheldreda and St Andrew. A passageway connecting the choir to the nave has 16 canopied niches with paintings of the bishops of Hexham and Lindisfarne. Other panels show the Dance of Death and three series of images of Christ, the Virgin and the Twelve Apostles.
Conservation and Digital Plans
New digital interpretation of the crypt, panels and other treasures will help safeguard the abbey's heritage from climate change impacts and open stories to wider audiences. The panels will receive sensitive new lighting to protect them from degradation. Improved digital signage and a new activity programme will reduce barriers to access and bring more diverse audiences.
Revd Canon David Glover of Hexham Abbey said: "We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans for vital conservation work, community outreach and sharing the Abbey’s unique and amazing treasures with new audiences of all ages and backgrounds."
